How to watch the Quadrantid meteor shower as it peaks tonight

A celestial display may light up the UK skies tonight in the first meteor shower of 2025, where stargazers could see up to 50 shooting stars an hour.

The Quadrantid meteor shower, which provides a brief and intense meteor display early each January, is expected to peak tonight (January 3) - but meteors will remain visible in the sky until January 12, according to the Royal Astronomical Society.

No specialist viewing equipment is needed to witness the meteors as they burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere, but they are often best seen around two thirds of the way above the horizon.

Where am I most likely to see the Quadrantids?

The Met Office has issued a weather warning in Greater Manchester from 4pm today, with ‘scattered showers of rain, sleet and snow expected.

However, some parts of the UK will enjoy clear periods tonight. If attempting to view the shooting stars tonight, be prepared for cold weather.

Dr Robert Massey, deputy director of the Royal Astronomical Society, also recommends to get “as far away from light pollution as possible”.

Dr Massey says the showers promise to be intense “if you happen to be in the right place at the right time”. He added: “They won’t be the brightest meteors on the whole, but (the Quadrantids) do include a fair number of fireballs.

“A fireball is a dramatic sounding thing but what it really means is a really bright meteor. The Quadrantids is a meteor shower which produces that kind of event.

“So for that reason alone, if you have the time to look out and the weather is good, then do take a look because it’s a perfect New Year treat.”

When are the Quadrantids most visible?

This year’s Quadrantids are expected to have a “really sharp peak over a few hours”, according to Dr Massey.

The shower was most active 3pm on Friday, before sunset in the UK. But that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to catch a glimpse of them once it gets dark.

Quadrantids meteors are the result of small particles entering the Earth’s atmosphere at around 40km per second.

The debris heats up due to friction with the air and are destroyed in under a second, causing a visible streak of light known as a shooting star.